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Based on interviews conducted in 2021 with Krystyna Kołakowska (a former – i.e. a half-century ago – inhabitant of the village of Miodusy-Litwa in Podlaskie Voivodeship), as well as archival photographs and hand-drawn sketches, her reminiscence of a homestead in this petty gentry village from half a century ago is presented. The interviewee recalled the construction of a rammed earthen house with walls reinforced with juniper brushwood. Memories of folk lore, home décor and other elements of past tradition were also noted. The aim of the article is therefore to preserve personal memories as a scholarly source that contributes to the knowledge of the space of the former village in north-eastern Poland.

Der Abbau von Mineralien wirkt sich auf alle Komponenten des Ökosystems aus, und die Umwelt nach dem Bergbau sollte kontinuierlich überwacht werden, um die Qualität und Effizienz der Rekultivierungsverfahren zu kontrollieren. In der Vergangenheit wurden die Nachbergbaugebiete oft nicht vollständig rekultiviert und nicht überwacht. Ziel der Studie war die Analyse der Oberflächenerosion (Grabenerosion) in einem stillgelegten nachbergbaulichen Braunkohlegebiet im heutigen grenzüberschreitenden deutsch-polnischen Geopark Muskauer Faltenbogen. Zu diesem Zweck wurde kostengünstige UAV-Photogrammetrie zur Erfassung der Oberflächenbeschaffenheit teilweise sanierter Haldenflächen und anschließend ein Digitales Höhenmodell (DHM) Differenzverfahren zur quantitativen Analyse von Höhenveränderungen eingesetzt. Die Ergebnisse der Auswertung von Daten aus vier UAV-Missionen, die zwischen Frühjahr 2020 und Herbst 2021 (18 Monate) durchgeführt wurden, ermöglichten die Bestimmung von Höhenmodellen mit hoher Genauigkeit (±0,02 – ±0,04 m) und die Entwicklung von differenziellen Höhenmodellen zur Abschätzung von Materialbewegungen und Oberflächenveränderungen in drei ausgewählten Schluchten. Alle untersuchten Standorte sind einer Oberflächenerosion ausgesetzt, die wahrscheinlich auf die Auswirkungen von Regenfällen zurückzuführen ist, die eine natürliche Landschaftsgestaltung des Gebiets bewirken. Die größten registrierten Höhenänderungen in Verbindung mit Materialverlusten in den Untersuchungsquerschnitten erreichen 0,9 m. Die UAV-gestützte Datenberechnung des Differenz-DEM hat sich als zeiteffiziente und genaue Methode zur Analyse von Höhenänderungen in Nachbergbaugebieten erwiesen, die für Oberflächenerosion anfällig sind. Um optimale Ergebnisse zu erzielen, wird empfohlen, UAV-Missionen zu planen, wenn die Sonne am höchsten steht und an bewölkten Tagen, um die Auswirkungen des Sonnenschattens auf die Qualität der erzeugten DHMs zu minimieren. Weitere Studien sind geplant, um Materialbewegungen mit Niederschlagsaufzeichnungen in Beziehung zu setzen.

In the quest to construct photonic circuits, the key issue is the coupling of light into subwavelength devices. While plasmonic waveguides can be used as building blocks in novel nanodevices, for efficient energy transmission, the distance between the plasmonic nanostructures must not exceed a few nanometers due to the rapidly decreasing coupling. Here, we study a system of two silver nanowires positioned precisely in order to control the separation between their ends. In such a structure, any measurable energy propagation between the nanowires is possible upon direct contact, as when the ends of the nanowires are away, they are also isolated optically from each other. We show that by combining precise positioning of the nanowires with the deposition of aqueous microdroplets, the coupling between two silver nanowires can be restored using colloidal quantum dots (QDs) as an interfacing medium. This effect is observed even if the QD-interfaced nanowires are separated by over a micrometer. The energy transfer between QDs in the microdroplet, as evidenced by shortening of the decay time of the QD fluorescence, is efficient enough to consider extending this method to facilitate and control the coupling between any type of nanostructure in nanophotonic devices.

In 2021, the authors performed a series of field surveys in Podlaskie region, northeastern Poland, looking for culturally significant specimens of vernacular architecture. The search in Brańsk commune (gmina Brańsk) have resulted with fin-ding a small but extremely interesting farmhouse, built some 80 years ago, i.e. in the early 1940s, with the use of locally obtained materials. In this article the authors present their findings; namely, they have documented the unique history and essential features of this farmhouse in terms of its construction, materials, layout, architectural form and adornment. All these aspects also witness a tangled history of the village and its surroundings, as well as intricacies of the local culture. An observed accumulative nature of the house and the uniqueness of its long history attribute the house with moral values of commemoration. Both that reason and the recently-observed rapid deterioration of the house compose a rationale for its documenting.

Treatment with radioactive iodine (RAI) in women with differentiated thyroid cancer is associated with decreased serum concentrations of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH); however, other markers have not been investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of RAI treatment on antral follicle count (AFC) and the serum concentration of inhibin B, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and AMH in women with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) treated with RAI. We examined 25 women at a median age of 33 years treated with a single dose of RAI. We divided the participants into women over (n= 11) and under 35 years of age (n= 14). Serum concentrations of inhibin B, FSH, AMH, and AFC were assessed at baseline and 1 year after RAI treatment. We found decreased AFC (P= 0.03), serum levels of AMH (P< 0.01), inhibin B (P= 0.03), but not FSH (P= 0.23), 1 year after RAI treatment in comparison to baseline in the whole group. When we compared serum levels of AMH in younger vs older women separately, we observed a significant reduction of this hormone’s serum level after RAI treatment in both groups (P< 0.01; P= 0.04, respectively). We concluded that RAI treatment significantly impacts the functional ovarian reserve in premenopausal women with PTC.

The aim of the study was to detect and quantify selected antibacterial drugs in the raw and treated wastewater collected under various temperature conditions (i.e. winter and summer period) from two urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), located in the northern and southern part of Poland. An additional goal of the study was to estimate the effectiveness of the removal of these antibacterial drugs in the above-mentioned conditions. For the study were selected: clarithromycin (CLA), erythromycin (ERY), roxithromycin (ROX), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), N-acetyl-sulfamethoxazole (N-Ac-SMX), sulfamethoxine (SMN), sulfamerazine (SMR), tiamulin (TIA), and trimethoprim (TRP). The study showed that CLA, ERY, ROX, SMX, TRP, and N-Ac-SMX (main SMX metabolite) were detected in all wastewater samples, regardless of the place of collection and the season of the sampling, while SMN, SMR, and TIA were not detected in the investigated wastewater. The studies have shown that N-Ac-SMX was the most efficiently removed compound at both treatment plants, regardless of the process temperature (over 95%), however, this substance may reversibly transform into the origin form of SMX under the conditions prevailing at WWTPs, which means that the removal can be only apparent. In the study, the temperature was an important parameter affecting the removal efficiency of CLA, ROX, and TRP. The removal efficiency of these substances always has been higher in summer than in the winter period. The process was also slightly more effective at WWTP 2. At WWTP 2, the average removal for CLA, ROX, and TRP in the summer period was equal to 76%, 47%, and 38%, respectively. Erythromycin, was a substance that was not degraded in any of the investigated technological systems and no effect of temperature on the removal efficiency was observed.

We observe correlation between the length of surface plasmon polariton propagation in silver nanowires and the enhancement of fluorescence intensity due to coupling with localized plasmon resonances. The results of excitation wavelength-dependent fluorescence imaging of CdTe QDs uniformly deposited over silver nanowires indicate the strongest enhancement of fluorescence intensity for wavelengths close to the maximum of localized plasmon resonance, with modest reduction of this effect when the excitation shifts toward longer wavelengths. In contrast, when one of the ends of a silver nanowire is excited with a focused laser, we find a reverse relation for surface plasmon polariton propagation. In fact, the energy propagates most efficiently for the longest excitation wavelength of 635 nm. This inverse correlation points toward an apparent trade-off between electric field confinement and plasmon propagation distance in silver nanowires, introducing thus a limit for efficient remote fluorescence detection when fluorescence enhancement is also desired.

Two porphycenes, substituted at the mesopositions with two and four methyl groups, respectively, reveal similar absorption spectra, but their photophysical properties are completely different. 9,20-dimethylporphycene emits fluorescence with about 20% quantum yield, independent of the solvent. In contrast, fluorescence of 9,10,19,20-tetramethylporphycene is extremely weak in nonviscous solvents, but it can be recovered by placing the chromophore in a rigid environment. We propose a model that explains these differences, based on calculations and structural analogies with other extremely weakly emitting derivatives, dibenzo[cde,mno]porphycenes. The efficient S1deactivation involves delocalization of two inner cavity protons coupled with proton translocation toward a high-energy cis tautomer. The latter process leads to distortion from planarity. The probability of deactivation increases with the strength of the intramolecular NH···N hydrogen bonds. The model also explains the observation of biexponential fluorescence decay in weakly emitting porphycenes. It can be extended to other derivatives, in particular, the asymmetrically substituted ones. We also point to the possibility of using specific porphycenes as viscosity sensors, in particular, when working in single molecule regime.

The study was performed in five fourth-order tributaries of the Bystrzyca Lubelska River (Eastern Poland, Lublin Upland), differing in the degree of river-bed transformation and level of pollution. Hydro-morphological methods (descriptive method by Ilnicki and Lewandowski - IL, and index method by Oglecki and Pawlat - OP) and biological indices based on the composition of zoobenthos (Diversity - D, and index based on proportions between the density of Oligochaeta and Chironomidae - O/Ch) permitted distinguishing of four classes, from II to V. The distinguishing of only two quality classes (III and IV) was possible by means of physical-chemical methods and by benthic index BMWP_PL. Those two methods seem to show the lowest sensitivity to the spatial variability of the environment quality. The BMWP_PL index was the least sensitive to year-to-year environmental changes, and O/Ch was the most sensitive. Relatively high conformity was obtained between hydro-morphological assessments performed by means of the OP and IL methods. Results obtained by means of these tools weakly corresponded with the physical-chemical assessments. The latter assessments were the most similar to those obtained by means of the BMWP_PL (degree of similarity = 57%) and D(47%) indices, and considerably less in the case of O/Ch (36%). The BMWP_PL and Dindices better corresponded with the results of the hydro-morphological assessment performed by means of the IL method than with those performed by means of the OP method while Dindex showed a reverse pattern. The O/CH index proved useful for the assessment of the degree of organic pollution of the river’s water, but not the sediments.

Recently, the combined partial denitrification and anammox (PD/anammox) has received special attention as a viable alternative for N removal using organic matter present in municipal wastewater. In comparison with conventional nitrification-denitrification, PD/anammox provides enormous opportunities to achieve sustainable wastewater treatment due to the lack of dissolved oxygen (DO) demand, a smaller amount of organic carbon (C) and less excess sludge production and GHG emissions. The PD/anammox process can be widely carried out in different technical systems, including single- or two-stage systems for side-stream and mainstream wastewater. This review focuses on the latest improvements related to the PD/anammox system and discusses the production/consumption pathways of NO2-as a critical intermediate. The C/N ratio plays a key role in the PD/anammox process; therefore, the concentration of the dosed organic C is important due to its negative influence on the activity of anammox resulting from the overgrowth of denitrifying bacteria in the systems. Understanding microorganism competition in a one-stage PD/anammox is typically the most important key to optimal efficiency of N removal from mainstream wastewater. Therefore, in this review, a comprehensive description of microbial metabolism i.e., autotrophic anammox, denitrifying heterotrophs/autotrophs, DNRA heterotrophs, and the contiguity competition between them in single-stage PD/anammox systems are inclusively explained. The challenge and limitations are described to recognize inhibition mechanisms and performance inhibitors. The combination of PD/anammox with other processes and the development of a self-supporting bacterial system should be the main lines of future research and efficiency development towards further enhancing total nitrogen removal efficiency (TNRE).

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of flowback water on an activated sludge biocenosis during municipal wastewater treatment in the sequencing batch reactors (SBRs). Two series were performed. In series 1, only municipal wastewater was treated, whereas in series 2, municipal wastewater with pre-treated flowback water was used. Flowback water constituted 3-5% of the influent and was introduced to the SBRs twice per week. Introducing flowback water did not decrease the quality of effluent from the SBRs. However, the composition of the activated sludge biocenosis differed between series, iethe biodiversity of protozoa and the relative abundance of microfauna in functional groups changed after flowback water addition. Polymerase chain reaction - denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) showed that the ammonia oxidizers community responded faster to flowback water addition than the total bacterial community and remained relatively stable during treatment. However, after 9 weeks of exposure to flowback water, ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) biodiversity decreased. This suggests that prolonged exposure could cause nitrification problems, leading to deterioration in effluent quality

We present the first data from Poland concerning parasitism of Hydrachnidia on Chironomidae. Larvae of Hygrobatessp., H. setosus, Unionicola aculeataand Piona stjoerdalensiswere found attached to adult Chironomidae (Cricotopus triannulatus, Tanytarsussp., Paratanytarsussp., Critocopussp. and Orthocladiussp.). Intensity of infestation ranged between 1 to 2 larvae. All of the parasites were attached to abdomens of the hosts. The determination of parasitism of U. aculeataon Paratanytarsusand Tanytarsusgenera extends the list of the hosts of this water mite species to the mentioned genera of Chironomidae. In case of H. setosus, the parasitism of this water mite on currently known hosts from the family Chironomidae has been confirmed.

Eutrophication process is a serious problem in water ecosystems. There is a great need to study the relation between the physico-chemical condition of water and the influence of these parameters on the diversity of biological life, especially on changes in the structure of microbiocenoses. The most interesting are bacteria and microalgae, due to the important roles they play in maintaining the balance of the aquatic environment. In this study, biodiversity analysis of eukaryotic microalgae and bacteria in two artificial water ecosystems - fish farming ponds - was performed. Aquaculture was based on IMTA technology, in which every part of the trophic chain plays a significant role in maintaining the balance in the ecosystems. Experimental intensive - extensive systems differed in terms of nutrient loads, ponds were characterized by high loads of organic and inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus. During the experimental period, the physicochemical conditions, quantitative genotypic structure of the two biocenoses being studied and the relation between these factors were monitored and investigated. For the biodiversity analysis, the PCR - DGGE technique was used. The results of preliminary research showed that there is a correlation between nutrient loads, diversity expressed in the Shannon-Wiener Index and the overall condition of experimental systems. Higher loadings of nutrient promote the development of bacteria and microalgae without any influence on the balance in the artificial ecosystem being tested.

Nephrolithiasis is a rare condition in children. The urinary tract rupture related to stones formation or migration is atypical in children, but creates serious consequences. We present a case of a 17-year-old quadriplegic patient with neurofibromatosis type 1 and urinoma due to the rupture of calyceal fornices in the course of nephrolithiasis. The boy was admitted with symptoms of severe pneumonia complicated with sepsis and prerenal acute kidney injury. Abdominal ultrasound revealed stone casts in both renal pelvises. Antibiotics, fluid therapy and diuretics were used to improve patient's condition. On the 28th day gross hematuria was observed. The patient's condition was stable, without signs of pain or discomfort. Abdomen ultrasound showed heteroechogenic structure (125mm×100mm×100mm) localized between the lower surface of the liver and the right kidney. Contrast CT scan confirmed urinoma under the right kidney capsula. Because of the high risk of its rupture, decision of invasive evacuation of perirenal fluid was made. Using the percutaneous catheter 700ml of bloody fluid was drained. After 10 days catheter was removed without recurrence of urinoma. Concluding, in children with prolonged immobilization this condition should be taken into consideration in differential diagnosis, also special attention should be paid for accompanying scarce symptoms.

Occurrence and breeding of Hirudo medicinaliswere recorded in birds’ nests in the fishing ponds and water bodies used extensively by anglers in south-eastern Poland, in 4 of 11 studied bird species (Circus aeruginosus, Fulica atra, Cygnus olor, Chroicocephalus ridibundus). Factors important for the distribution and density of this leech were: nest height, pH of the water and oxygen concentration in the water inside the nests, the body-length of the nesting birds. Our data show that (1) H. medicinalischooses nests as habitats that are safe in water bodies rich in predators (particularly fish) and provide stable feeding conditions; (2) fishing ponds and other water bodies used extensively by anglers in a landscape modified by human pressure can be an important secondary habitat for the medicinal leech. As the nesting activity of some aquatic birds apparently favors the occurrence of H. medicinalis, active protection of aquatic birds and creating sites appropriate for their breeding may be an indirect way for the conservation of the leech in such areas.

Cardiovascular risk factors could be present in mild adrenal autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS). However, the most frequent cardiovascular risk factors in MACS have not been established. The aim of the presseent study was to analyse the difference in cardiovascular risk factors in patients with MACS in comparison to those with non-functioning adrenal tumour (NFAT). A total of 295 patients with adrenal incidentaloma were included in this retrospective study. We divided our group into those who showed suppression in 1 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test (DST) (NFAT) (serum cortisol level ≤1.8 μg/dL) and those who did not show suppression in the DST (MACS) (serum concentration of cortisol > 1.8 μg/dL and ≤5 μg/dL). In the studied groups, we analysed the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular events. In our study, 18.9% of patients were defined as MACS. Importantly, T2DM was diagnosed in 41% of MACS vs 23% of NFAT (P< 0.01) and higher frequency of occurrence of hyperlipidaemia in NFAT (72.4%) vs MACS (53.6%) (P= 0.01) was observed. We did not observed differences in the frequency of obesity, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, prediabetes, atrial fibrillation, stroke, ST and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and coronary angioplasty between patients with MACS and NFAT (all P> 0.05; respectively). In MACS, T2DM is more prevalent than in NFAT; hyperlipidaemia is more prevalent in NFAT. Accordingly, no differences were found in the incidence of obesity, hypertension, prediabetes, chronic kidney disease between studied groups as well as cardiovascular events.

We study the secant varieties of the Veronese varieties and of Veronese reembeddings of a smooth projective variety. We give some conditions, under which these secant varieties are set-theoretically cut out by determinantal equations. More precisely, they are given by minors of a catalecticant matrix. These conditions include the case when the dimension of the projective variety is at most 3 and the degree of reembedding is sufficiently high. This gives a positive answer to a set-theoretic version of a question of Eisenbud in dimension at most 3. For dimension four and higher we produce plenty of examples when the catalecticant minors are not enough to set-theoretically define the secant varieties to high degree Veronese varieties. This is done by relating the problem to smoothability of certain zero-dimensional Gorenstein schemes.

The occurrence of clarithromycin in wastewater samples and of the activated sludge bacteria possibly resistant to this pharmaceutical was the object of the study. Samples of wastewater or activated sludge were taken from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in summer and winter and characterised regarding their clarithromycin concentrations and the presence of nucleic acid fragments (Cla-sequences) known to be responsible for clarithromycin resistance in Helicobacter pylori. The concentrations of clarithromycin in raw wastewater were about 1086–2271 ng/L. Around 50–60% less of the pharmaceutical was found in treated wastewater. The concentrations were much higher in winter samples, as compared to summer samples. The clarithromycin resistance markers in H. pyloriwere detected by fluorescence in situ hybridisation in activated sludge bacterial cells. Cla-sequences were found in all the detected Proteobacteria, independently of the sampling season. Among nitrifying or phosphate or glycogen accumulating bacteria only Nitrosomonasspp. revealed presence of the clarithromycin sequences.

Background and Aim. The development of interferon- (IFN-) free regimens substantially improved efficacy of treatment for HCV, but despite excellent effectiveness the failures still occur. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of retreatment with genotype specific direct acting antivirals- (DAA-) based regimens in nonresponders to previous IFN-free therapy. Materials and Methods. Analysed population consisted of 31 nonresponders to IFN-free regimen, which received second IFN-free rescue therapy, selected from 6228 patients included in a national database EpiTer-2. Results. Age and gender distribution were similar, whereas proportion of genotype 1b was slightly higher and genotype 4 lower in the whole population compared to studied one. Patients included in the study demonstrated much more advanced fibrosis. Primary therapy was discontinued in 12 patients, which were recognized as failures due to nonvirologic reason, whereas virologic reason of therapeutic failure was recognized in 19 patients which completed therapy. Overall sustained virologic response (SVR) rate was 81% and 86% in intent-to-treat (ITT) and modified ITT analysis, respectively (74% and 78% in virologic failures, 92% and 100% in nonvirologic failures). Resistance-associated substitutions (RAS) testing was carried out in 8 patients from the group of completed primary therapy and three of them had potential risk for failure of rescue therapy due to NS5A association, while two of them achieved SVR. Conclusions. We demonstrated moderate effectiveness of genotype specific rescue therapy in failures due to virologic reason and high in those who discontinued primary therapy. Therefore rescue therapy with genotype specific regimens should be considered always if more potent regimens are not available.